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Northampton Clown sparks fears for wider clowning community

Britain's clowning community fears its good name has been tarnished after police forces around the country revealed incidents of people in costume scaring members of the public.

The copycat craze - believed to have been started by a man known on Facebook as the Northampton Clown - involves people dressing as the circus characters to surprise passers-by in public places.

Tony Eldridge, secretary of Clowns International which represents the entertainers in Britain, said: "The people behind it might see it as a bit of a laugh, but for the victims it can be a horrible experience."